Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity announced today that Wells Fargo would be the lead sponsor of its 500th home build, which will begin construction Monday, June 18. The 500th build will kick off a June ‘Blitz’ week during which Milwaukee Habitat staff and volunteers –including more than 100 from Wells Fargo — will be completing rough framing for seven homes on North 39th and 40th Streets in Milwaukee’s Washington Park neighborhood.
“Milwaukee Habitat and Wells Fargo share a vital goal – to make sure affordable and sustainable homeownership is available to area families,” says Fred Bertoldo, Regional President of Wells Fargo in Wisconsin. “As the nation’s leading mortgage originator, we recognize the need to increase the availability of affordable housing in the communities we serve,” he adds.
“We are grateful to Wells Fargo for the generous contribution it provided to help us realize this incredible milestone,” says Brian Sonderman, Milwaukee Habitat’s Executive Director. “Wells Fargo shares our goals, particularly those tied to revitalizing communities and enabling hard-working families to improve their financial well-being,” he adds.
Once construction of the Wells Fargo house is complete, it will become the new home of Renee Walls, age 48, her son Alonzo and her elderly father, for whom Ms. Walls is the primary caretaker. “I want to thank Habitat and Wells Fargo for helping my dream of owning a home come true. Because of this opportunity I will be able to take my father out of hospice and care for him at our home,” says Walls. Ms. Walls works as a security guard at Roosevelt Middle School and currently rents a two bedroom apartment from the Housing Authority, located in the North Lawn neighborhood.
